It's a distance of only 200 kilometres, but heavy traffic on the Canada Day long weekend can often make for long, grueling commutes between the city and cottage country.

"The easiest way for Ford to do his civic duty is to take to the air," said NOW editor and publisher Michael Hollett in a statement issued Wednesday. "It's less than an hour lake to lake, and we've found charters ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 that will pull right up to his cottage."

Ford's decision to skip the parade was seen by many as a snub against the city's gay community. Ford has not ruled out finding time to attend other events over the 10-day long Pride Week that kicked off last Thursday.